Chair



Jan. 19, 1960 B. w. HENRIKSON ET-AL. 1,

CHAIR Filed April 14. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Bro! mlliamHenrilmon "Q" Benjamin J 00121.

ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1960 E. w. HENRIKSON ETAL CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledApril 14, 1958 I o 0 M Ila um; L Wk 5 rwJ MB M u v r h o J H Md w Fig. 5

United States Pfl fi F CHAIR Bror William Henrikson andBenjamin J.00111, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, GrandRapids, Mich., a corporation of New Iersey Application April 14, 1958,Serial No. 728,194

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-55) The present invention relates to chairs and moreparticularly to chairs of the type generally installed in theaters,auditoriums, stadiums and the like. 1

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a chair in which aunitary chair seat and. back element is mounted for limited, cushionedrocking movement between upright and rearwardly reclined positions; toprovide a novel arrangement of supporting standards and arm rests forsuch a chair; to provide novel and effective pivot mountings for such achair; to provide such a chair which is especially well adapted formounting on a riser; and in general to provide such a chair which issimple and sturdy in construction, exceptionally comfortable, and ofnovel and attractive appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical section through a concrete floor of the steppedtype having risers on which are mounted the new chairs, two such chairsbeing shown in side elevation as viewed from the section line 1-1 ofFigure 2;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of one of the chairs shown inFigure 1, as viewed from the section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the same as viewed from thesection line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts thereof,taken on line 44 of Figure 1;

Filgure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional view of partsthereof, taken on line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view parts thereof, takenon line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view other parts thereof,taken on line 7--7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view certain partsthereof, taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of parts thereof,taken on line 9-9 of Figure 5, certain parts being shown in differentpositions than those seen in Figure 6; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view of parts of thechair, taken on line 1010 of Figure 5.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals in the several views, the chairs shownin Figures 1-3 are mounted on risers 11 formed in the stepped concretefloor 12, the risers having anchor bolts 13 projecting therefrom for theattachment of the chairs. Each chair is mounted on spaced, upright,tubular metal supporting standards 14 having apertured metal plates 15secured as by welding to the standards lower ends. The anchor bolts 13project through the apertures in the plates 15, and nuts 16 threaded onthe outer ends of the anchor bolts secure the standards in position withthe plates 15 flush against the risers 11.

The tubular standards 14 are bent in such a way that 2,921,622 PatentedJan. 19,1960

2 they extend from the risers 11 in a forwardly-upwardly direction tothe approximate level of the seat, and thence in a rearwardly-upwardlydirection. Arm rests 17 are secured by screws 18 'to metal plates 19secured as by welding to the upper ends of the standards. As seen inFigures 2 and 3, each standard 14 serves as a common support foradjoining chairs in a row of connected seating, and the arm rests 17 aretherefore made wide to accommodate both occupants of adjoining chairs.

A horizontal supporting bar 20 of rectangular or square cross-sectionextends between and is rigidly connected to the spaced standards 14 bymeans of bolts 21 passing downwardly through aligned apertures in thebar 20 and in lugs 22 secured as by welding to the standards, and havingnuts 23 threaded on their lower ends. The bar 20 is secured to thestandards 14 in their forward regions near the seat level. A pair ofhorizontally spaced pivot members 24 of molded polyamide resin (nylon)is rigidly mounted on the bar 20, and each pivot member 24 has an outerdisc-shaped portion and cylindrically contoured pivot segments 25extending inwardly on the opposite top and bottom sides of the bar '20.

A unitary chair seat and back element, generally designated 26 inFigures l-4, is desirably made of molded, fiber glass reinforced plasticmaterial, and comprises a contoured seat 27, back 28 and a peripheralflange 29 extending continuously around the seat and back. This flange29 encloses and is secured at spaced points therealong to a tubularmetal frame 30 as by means of rivets 31.

Spaced bearing members 32 are secured as by welding 33 (see Figures 5and 10) to the lower side portions of the chair elements tubular frame30, and depend therefrom. Openings 34 (see Figures 6 and 9) through thebearing members 32 provide cylindrically contoured upper and lowerbearing segments 35 which are journalled on the pivot segments 25 of thepivot members 24, so that the unitary chair seat and back element 26 ismounted on the supporting bar 20 for rocking movement. The openings 34also define sloping surfaces providing stops 36 and 37 (see Figures 6and 9) which contact bar 20 for limiting rocking movement of the chairelement 26 in both directions. As designated, the stops 36 limitcounter-clockwise movement of the chair element, as viewed in thedrawing, to an upright position as indicated in full lines in Figure l,and in Figure 6. Stops 37 limit clockwise rocking movement of the chairelement 26 to a rearwardly reclined position indicated in dotted linesin Figure 1, and in Figure 9.

Spring means urge the chair element 26 in a counterclockwise direction,as shown, toward its upright position so that the unitary seat and backare resiliently supported to increase the comfort of the occupant. Thesespring means comprise spaced sets of leaf springs 38 secured at theirforward ends to the bar 20 by means of bolts 39 passing downwardlythrough aligned apertures in the springs 38 and bar 20 and provided withnuts 40 threaded on their lower ends. The rearward ends of the springsbear upwardly against the rearward underside of the chair seat 27, andare slidably enclosed in channel brackets 41 depending from the rearwardunderside of the seat 27. These channel brackets 41 are secured as bywelding 42 (see Figures 5 and 10) to a metal bar or strap 43 which spansthe tubular frame 30 adjacent the seat 27 and which has its oppositeends secured as by welding to the side seat portions of said tubularframe 30.

In appropriate installations, indoors, the unitary chair seat and backelement may be provided with an upholstery pad 44 as shown, securedthereto by any suitable means (not shown) for the added comfort of thechair occupant.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a novel, attractive andcomfortable chair for installation in theaters and the like, and whilebut one specific embodiment of the, invention has been herein shown anddescribed it will be understood that the invention is not to be limitedto or by the details of said embodiment but comprehends all suchmodifications thereof as fall within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a chair: spaced upright supporting standards; a supporting bar ofrectangular cross-section extending between and rigidly connected tosaid standards near the seat level; horizontally spaced pivot membershaving rectangular openings through which pass the supporting bar forthe non-rotatable support of said pivot members on said bar; a unitarychair seat and back element having bearing members depending from thechair seat and journalled on said pivot members whereby the chairseatand back element is mounted on the supportingbar for rocking movementbetween upright and rearwardly reclined positions; and stop means forlimiting said rocking movement in both directions.

v2.' A chair according to claim 1 in which horizontally spaced leafsprings have their forward ends rigidly secured to the supporting barand have their rearward ends bearing upwardly against the rearwardunderside of the chair seat.

3. A chair according to claim 1 in which the pivot members havecylindrically contoured pivot segments on two opposite sides of thesupporting bar, and in which the bearing members have cylindricallycontoured hearing segments journalled on said pivot segments, and stopsegments adapted to contact the other two opposite sides of thesupporting bar to limit turning movements of said bearing members inboth directions.

4. A chair according to claim 1 in which the supporting standards are oftubular metal and have their lower ends adapted for attachment to ariser, said standards extending from the riser in a forwardly-upwardlydirection to the approximate level of the seat and thence in arearwardly-upwardly direction, and said supporting bar being connectedto said standards in their forward regions near the seat level; and armrests mounted on the upper ends of said standards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS163,705 Waters May 25, 1875 321,816 Housley July 7, 1885 1,960,436 FinnMay 29, 1934 2,046,858 Walenta July 7, 1936 2,362,746 De Vries Nov. 14,1944 2,522,394 Myers Sept. 12, 1950 2,568,896 Morgan et a1 Sept. 25,1951 2,633,897 Moore Apr. 7, 1953 2,808,875 Bargen Oct. 8, 1957 FOREIGNPATENTS 1,131,978 France Oct. 29, 1956

